SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-baksaid Thursday, with respect to the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), his country may talk again with the U.S. if the auto trade issue stands in the way.

    When asked whether he intends to open South Korea's automobile market for a breakthrough in the deal, Lee said that he sought an opportunity to rediscuss the matter with the United States.

    "Such a view came as I had sufficient communication with President Obama, and I want to push for it in an aggressive manner as it would benefit both of the countries," Lee said.

    With respect to Lee's remarks, South Korean media were heated as it could imply that South Korea may go through negotiation process with the United States again.

    Later, however, Seoul's presidential office denied such speculation, saying it did not mean renegotiation.

    "What President Lee meant cannot be interpreted as renegotiation. Rather, it means that we could have an opportunity to listen to the U.S. side again as the auto issue is hampering the ratification," Kim Jong-hoon, South Korea's chief negotiator, said.

    Earlier in the day, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama held a summit in Seoul, where they reiterated to move the bilateral FTA forward.

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